How to Teach Kids to Be Eco-friendly and Recycle

Teaching kids how to recycle does not have to be another job; it can be fun for the whole family. First visit your local garbage company and see what can be recycled in your community. They should be able to give you a list of what can be recycled and many times they offer special recycle containers or cans. If your town does not offer cans, but does accept some recyclables, just make a stop at your local dollar store on the way home. Figure on getting a container for each type of recyclable, unless you do not need to pre-sort. If your home is multi-level, plan on having collection containers upstairs as well as downstairs because the easier it is to recycle, the more your whole family will use them.

Next, you need to teach your children what can and can't be recycled and where it goes. This might be too complicated if your kids are small. You can always teach them as they are growing and recycle on your own. Older kids can learn to identify what can be kept out of the garbage and once they understand why it is important, they are likely to be excited about helping. Treat recycling as one of their jobs, and if you normally offer rewards for working, incorporate that.

When you are getting started, you might find that your kids miss a lot of things that can be kept out of the garbage. Keep reminding them what can be placed in your recycling bins and how you are committed to creating less garbage and taking better care of the environment. It might take them a little while to get used to it, but don't give up and remember to reward and praise good behavior.

If your town offers curbside recycling, enjoy the convenience of it. In many places across the country there are recycling centers where you can drop off everything from used clothing to pieces of wood. If your city has a center, it is worth seeing what is available. You might find things that your family can reuse and enjoy saving money at the same time. And it isn't just junk like you might think it would be. My city has a free clothing exchange where I have found new looking suede boots, designer label clothing for my kids and more. I've discovered that people who care about recycling often also care about helping others, so it is exciting to see what treasure awaits.